New Teen Novel BIG FOOT ADVENTURES DOWN UNDER by Maggie Meyer is Released

According to the Australian Yowie Research, Yowies, the Australian Big Foot, have been sighted all over the country since 18th century colonialism. Dinosaur fossils were studied by the Greeks and Romans. Rarely have these two ever been linked to one another, but Maggie Meyer may be starting a new trend. Written with the help of Joan Small, "Big Foot Adventures Down Under: Book One in the Series 'Spirits Alive'" (published by Xlibris) invites readers to join five teens on a thrilling ride back in time where the origins of man evolved right alongside the dinosaurs.

Meyers describes the first novel of the series as "Indiana Jones meets Jurassic Park for young adults." The adventure begins when Australian bush native Kyle Jackson, determined to finish his father's search for the mythical Yowie, leads his four friends into the Blue Mountain wilderness. Following a map from museum curator, Roy McGilvary, the five teens enter a cave, but the farther in they go, the farther they go back in time. When they emerge, they are in the ancient Wollemi Pine Forest where Yowies and dinosaurs coexist. There is little time to celebrate. The group is separated, and it's going to take all their strength and courage to make it back to the outside world.

The novel artfully blends anthropology and paleontology with engaging characters that readers will root for until the end. The book's museum curator is loosely based off Rex Gilroy, the famed adventurer of the Australian bush and Yowie researcher.

The character development sets a high standard for the following "Spirits Alive" books. Of her teen heroes, Meyer writes, "Their resourcefulness is repeatedly challenged. After some testing times, the teens overcome the many obstacles with the help of a blend of their knowledge of 'bush-craft' and home-grown 'bush magic.'"